RIO COMMUNITIES — A Rio Communities man is facing nine criminal counts alleging he touched and kissed two young girls late last year.
According to the criminal complaint, James Ryerson, 75, of Rio Communities, is facing one count of criminal sexual contact of a minor under 13, unclothed, a second-degree felony; five counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor under 13, a third-degree felony; and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a fourth-degree felony.
James Ryerson
Charged
In early May, a woman from Arizona reached out to the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office to report a crime that happened at Ryerson’s Rio Communities home in October 2022.
According to the woman, her two daughters — ages 6 and 7 at the time — were molested by Ryerson while she and the girls were visiting another member of the household during vacation.
The woman told investigators the girls didn’t disclose the sexual contact until late in April, after they had returned home to Arizona.
The woman said the female household member she was visiting told her she walked into a bedroom while Ryerson was brushing the 6-year-old’s hair and his genitals were exposed. When questioned by the household member, Ryerson told her, “My pants fell down.”
During a children’s safe house interview in mid May, both girls told investigators Ryerson kissed them and touched them in a sexual manner on a number of occasions.
A children’s safe house interview is a developmentally appropriate forensic interview for children ages 3 to 17 who have been the alleged victim of physical and/or sexual abuts, neglect or who have witnessed a violent crime.
The forensic interview is conducted in a supportive and non-leading matter by a trained professional.
According to court documents, Ryerson was released to pretrial services on July 3 and placed on a GPS ankle monitor. The conditions of his release, signed by Los Lunas Magistrate Miles Tafoya, include him having no contact with anyone younger than 18, and to not go where children may be, including schools, playgrounds, baseball fields and recreation centers.
Julia M. Dendinger began working at the VCNB in 2006. She covers Valencia County government, Belen Consolidated Schools and the village of Bosque Farms. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists Rio Grande chapter’s board of directors.
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April 25, 2024
